Weakley County School Board Discusses Education Bills

Weakley County School Board member, Steve Vantrease discussed the 150 bills which are currently being tracked related to education in the Tennessee General Assembly. The Education Freedom Act recently passed which awards $7,000 scholarship to families where all taxpayers in all 95 counties would pay for according to Vantrease.

Vantrease mentioned other bills in the assembly that would affect education across the state including cellphones in schools, school board elections, TISA funding, breakfast, fire drill schedules and more.

“There are a lot of things that affect education going on in the General Assembly,” Vantrease stated. Some of the bills affecting education are listed below:

HB401: would add pre-kindergarten students with special education needs and their peer models to the categories of students who generate education funding through the TISA.

HB531: requires local education agencies and public charter schools to provide age-appropriate instruction to students on how to access, utilize, and critically evaluate various artificial intelligence tools within the curriculum taught by the educator; requires the department of education to issue guidance on how to implement the required instruction; requires the department to provide a professional development program in artificial intelligence education for educators, subject to available funding.

HB971: authorizes LEAs and public charter schools to create a physical education through community service program by partnering with a community service partner to provide students in grades nine through 12 the opportunity to earn one-half credit in physical education by completing yardwork projects for older persons and persons with disabilities within the community served by the LEA or public charter school. 

SB821:  requires each local education agency and public charter school to annually implement an evidence-based substance abuse and violence prevention program in each school that serves students in any of the grades three through 12 to reduce tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use by students.

HB64: requires all residential educational programs in this state, regardless of type or duration, that allow minors to participate or to access residential facilities to segregate all restrooms, changing areas, and showers by immutable biological sex.

SB346: specifies that fire drills for private and public schools requiring full evacuation in educational occupancies where such occupancies constitute the major occupancy of a building must be held at least one time every 30 school days.

HB932: requires local boards of education and public charter school governing bodies to adopt a policy to prohibit students from using wireless communication devices during instructional time, except in certain circumstances. 

HB675: reduces the amount of state-mandated assessments for students in grades three through 12; reduces the required amount of evaluations for teachers or principals who are "at expectations" or above; requires the state board of education to promulgate rules to create the hours equivalent of the 180-day requirement for classroom instruction.

HB1383: requires elections for county boards of education to be held at the same time and on the same election cycle as elections for members of the local legislative body for the county; requires members of county boards of education to have the same staggered terms as members of the local legislative body for the county; requires members of a county board of education to have the same term limits as members of the local legislative body for the county.

HB1032: requires directors of schools and directors of public charter schools to immediately notify all students, parents, educators, employees, and contractors of the local education agency or public charter school of the presence of an immigration officer on school grounds. 

HB682: enacts the "Student Comfort through Alternative Restorative Environments (CARE) Act"; requires local education agencies and public charter schools to allow students of a school in the LEA or public charter school where an act of mass violence occurs to voluntarily participate in remote instruction or a virtual education program for at least 31 calendar days.

The rest of the bills can be viewed by going to legiscan.com/TN and searching for “education” in the bill search bar.

OTHER BUSINESS:

School Board Records: Record Request Coordinator changed from Mr. Jeff Kelley to Betsi Foster: Besti.Foster@wcsk12tn.net, 731-364-2247.

Added Section: Interscholastic Athletics:

Foster Care Students: Schools are required to notify an association that regulates interscholastic athletics of a student’s placement in foster care if the student seeks to participate in interscholastic athletics. Failure to notify the association of a student’s placement in foster care may result in the student being declared ineligible to participate in athletics for any period of time. Prior to notifying an association, a school must first obtain written consent from the student’s parent or legal guardian. If the student is 18 or older, the student must provide written consent. The school district is required to certify compliance to the Tennessee Department of Education by Jan. 1 every year.

The Weakley County School Board will meet Thursday, March 6 at Dresden High School at 5 p.m. for their next regularly scheduled board meeting.